Apparatus for cooling oil or other liquids



July 24, 1928.

Filed Jul 1a, 192::

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, a m a July 24, 1928 Y J, MOORE APPARATUS FOR COOLING OIL OR OTHER LIQUIDS Filed July 13, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 v .7\ |ll|| 4 ll l 0 3 7 H H 4 7 I... :5 l 3 w 1 n July 24, 1928.

'J'; MQORE oa oraan mourns Filed July 13, 1923 APPARATUS FOR COOLING OIL 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 July 24,1928. f I 1,678,070

J. MOORE 4 APPARATUS FOR COOLING OIL OR OTHER LIQUIDS Filed July 13. 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 III II III III-- 1: 'll nl Id! Patented Jilly i24, 1928.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MOORE, OF BURMAH, BRITISH INDIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE BURMAH OIIJ COM- PANY LIMITED, OF GLASGOW, SCOTLAND, A BRITISH COMPANY.

APPARATUS FOR COOLING on. on ornnn LIQUIDS.

Application filed July 13, 1923, Serial No. 651,429, and in Great Britain August 15, 1922.

This invention relates to continuouslyoperating heat-exchange apparatus of the kind in 'which,the material is continuously fed to and discharged from the apparatus and cooled by contact with the surfaces of a series of hollow plate cells, the material travelling downwards through spaces between the cells in the opposite direction to the upward flow of a cooling medium through the cells and being caused to travel over the cells alternately from the periphery to a central passage therein and vice versa by means of scrapers on a rotating vertical shaft passing through the cells.

Apparatus of the kind described has been proposed for cooling materials in a solid, semi-fluid or such like state, the cells being circular and enclosed in a vertical cylinder so that an annular space is provided between the cylinder and the peripheries of alternate cells. The material does not completely fill the spaces between the cells, but falls from one cell on to the next lower one.

The present invention relates to apparatus 5 of the kind first above referred to, more particularly designed for cooling oil or other liquids, such as heavy oils and parafiin, the improved apparatus being designed to ob tain maximum efficiency within a minimum occupied space.

According to the present invention, continuously-operating heat-exchange apparatus of the kind first above referred to, for cooling oil or other liquids, comprises in combination, two series of superposed hollow plate cells having peripheral inlet and outlet ports for the cooling medium and intervening baffles, rims or flanges on said cells I for spacing the cells apart and for enclosing 40 the space between them, one series of cells having central passages therethrough and alternating with the other series of cells having assages therethrough near the periphery or connecting adjacent spaces'through the cells, and scrapers on a vertical shaft for moving the liquid between the cells alternately from the periphery to the center and vice versa.

The oil or other liquid to be cooled is conno tinuously supplied to the upper end of the apparatus under pressure in' such manner upper end of the shaft, so that only suflicient headroom is required to enable one cell to clear the top of the scraper shaft.

The cells may be provided with cleaning doors which serve also to close openings provided for cleaning out the corr sand used when casting the cells.

' The scrapers and scraper shaft are preferably supported in a hydraulic step bearing so arranged that the hydraulic pressure on the lower end of the scraper shaft just balances the weight of the shaft and scrapers. The scraper shaft may be coupled by a sleeve coupling to a spindle supported in the spin.- dle bearing in such a manner that the coupling can be slipped over the spindle to remove the latter.

The plate cells can be cleaned by simply removing external insulation which surrounds the cells and opening the cleaning doors. It is not necessary .to dismantle the cooling apparatus for the cleaning process.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood reference is hereinafter made to the accompanying explanatory drawings. whereon:--

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of the cooling apparatus.

ig. 2 is a plan of the uppermost brine cell A.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the lower part of the cooling apparatus taken at right angles to Fig. 1.

Fig. '4 is a part plan and part Section through one of the brine cells C.

Fig. 5 is a plan of the lowermost brinecell D. p v r Fig. 6 is a plan of one of the brine, cells B.

Fig. 7 is a partsectional view of cell B on line 7-7 of Fig. 6. v

Fig. 8 is a part sectional view of cell B on line 88 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a part sectional view of cell C on line 99 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 10 is a part sectional view of cell on line -10 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 11 is a sectional detail and Figs. 12 and 13 are edge and front views of one of the inspection doors.

Fig. 14 is a section on line 1414 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 15 is a plan view of one of the scraper arms E with the blades-removed.

Fig. 16 is a plan view of one of the scraper arms F and blades.

Fig. 17 is a section on line 17-17 of Fig. 16. N

Fig. 18 is a side View with blades removed.

It is to be understood that the drawings illustrate only one construction of our improved cooling apparatus and that the conof scraper arm F 'struction of the parts is capable of variation without departing from the invention forming the subject of the appended claims.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, the numeral 20 represents a metal or other base or sole plate which supports a ,frame 21 on which are mounted the brine cells which comprise an upper cell A, a plurality of cells B and C and a lower cell D connected together by bolts 22. The whole of the cells may be enclosed in a teak-wood or other suitable casing 23 (shown dotted) adapted to retain suitable insulation. Over each cell B works a scraper arm E and over each cell C works a scraper arm. F, the scrapers E and F being carried by a vertical shaft 23 which is coupled by a sleeve coupling 50 to a spindle 51 mounted in a step bearing 24 on the sole plate 20. On the shaft 23 is fixed a worm wheel 25 which gears with a worm 26 on a driven shaft 27 having the usual fast and loose pulleys 28.

The brine cells are of the plate type, thus minimizing spaceand are cast with ribs 47 as shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 to guide the brine and ensure that the whole surface of the cell-comes in contact with the cold brine. In operation, the oil or other liquid to be cooled enters the cell A (Figs.-1 and 2) by way of an inlet pipe 29 vhich opens around an upper bearing 30 for the shaft 23. The

oil from thence passes through a. central aperture 31 in the cell A into a space formed by a flange or rim 32 on the cell B, the flange 32 supporting the cell A. The oil is then caught by the scraper E which, while scraping clean the walls of the cells A and B moves the oil towards the circumference, the scraper having ribs 33 inclined as shown in Fig. 15 for this purpose. The oil now passes through holes 34 near the circumference of the cell B and enters the next compartment cleaned from time to between the cells B and G, the cell C being formed with a flange or rim 35 in a similar manner to the cell B. The oil entering the compartment between the cells B and C is caught by the scraper F having ribs 36 inclined as shown in Fig. 16 so that the oil is moved towards the center, where it passes around the shaft 23 through a central aperture 37 in the cell G into the next compartment and so on until it finally leaves the lowermost cell D through a central aperture 38 and outlet pipe 39.

.The cooling medium, cold brine, flows in the entering the bottom cell D by way of an inlet 40 (Figs. 5 and 14). After traversing the cell D, the hrine leaves by way of a port 41 in the flange or rim 42 of the cell D, the port 41 registering with a corresponding port 59 in the cell B. After traversing the cell B the brine passes through a port 43 in the upper cell C having the inlet and outlet ports 44 and 45 respectively (Fig. 4). The brine travels in this manner up through the various cells in succession until it leaves which is preferably opposite direction,

the top cell A by way of an outlet'46 :(Fig. 2).

The loss due to radiation is because, with the exception of the circumference, the wallsof the brine cells are in direct contact with the oil or other liquid to be cooled.

The surfaces of the brine cells in contact with the oil are preferably machined so that the scrapers keep the surfaces clean, thus maintaining a high efliciency in the transmission of heat. The machined surfaces avoid the deposit of a thin film of the oil thereon, which would act as an insulator and reduce the rate of heat transmission.

Moreover in coolers of the tube type the oil is liable to channel down the center and may reach the exit without coming into contact with the wallsof the brine cell at all or only very little, so that the oil is not uniformly cooled. The apparatus according to the present invention ensures that the oil comes into intimate contact with the brine cells, so that it is uniformly cooled. The improved apparatus also provides rapid brine flow, cooling.

In all coolers using brine as the cooling medium, the brine passages become choked and therefore it is essential, if efiiciency is to be maintained, that the brine passages be time. For this purpose we provide the brine cells (see Figs. 11, 12 and 13) with doors 48 which serve a double purpose. \Vhen casting the'cells it is necessary to have openings for cleaning outthe core sand and these openings are preferably so situated that they also serve as cleaning and inspection openings, being fitted with the doors 48, so that the brine very slight which is essential for efficient;

' centrally by split bushes 56 to form bearbearin and 2).

cells can be inspected and cleaned atany time by simply removing the insulation and. opening the doors 48. need to be dismantled for the cleaning proc ess' as is usually necessary in the case of known coolers. i

When erecting or dismantling the cooler,

only sufiicient vertical. space is required to pass the cells one at-a time above 'the upper end of the shaft 23, thus reducing the dimensions of the cooler room to a minimum. i In most other coolers it 1s necessary to draw out the scraper shaft, thus necessitating a (Fig. 1) of the step bearing 24 is connected at to an hydraulic accumulator (not shown), which is so arranged that the hydraulic ressure on the lower end of the shaft 23 ust balances the weight, ofthe shaft and scrapers. The spindle 51' and its 24 can be removed from position by sliding the sleeve coupling 50 down until 0 car of the reduced end 52 of the shaft '23. A drip cup 53 may be provided with a dpairi pipe 54 for draining off any leakage o 01 To facilitate erection and repairs the worm wheel 25 is preferably made in halves bolted together.

In. Fig. 1 of the drawings only two scrapers are shown, but it Wlll be understoo cells is provided with a scraper. The central apertures 37 and 38 are preferably in the form of slots or oval apertures as seen in Figs. 4 and 5 and the cells B are bushed ings' for the shaft 23.

The upper and lower cells A and D may have external The numeral 58 (Figs. 1 and '3) represents an oil tray beneath, the worm and worm wheel gearing 25 and 26. Each scraper, as shownin Figs.'15 to 18, consists of anarm 60 having inclined" ribs 33 or' 36 projecting at right angles therefrom and a pair of side knife blades 61. 55

The blades 61 have lugs or projections 62 which are headed at their endsto. fit in .notches 63in the edges of the .ribs 33 and v I 36. Each arm 60 also'ha'san end blade 64:

he cooler does not I I air-cooling ribs 57 (Figs. 1'

which engages a notch. in the end of the arm;

What I claim is;

1. Heat-exchange apparatus compmsmg a plurality of superposedcells, each cell comprising a cooled'space and a cooling space, an inlet port and an outlet port for said cool-. 5

ing space, and means for guiding a cooling medium from the inlet to the outlet port in ajcircuitous path, a central aperture through each alternate cooling space and apertures through each of the othercooling spaces near- 7 the peripheries thereof.

2. Heat-exchange apparatus comprising a plurality of contiguous cells, each cell comprising a cooled space and a cooling space,

an inlet port for a cooling medium'on one" face of said cell and communicatin with said cooling space, an outlet port orthe cooling me ium on the other face ofsaul cell, said'inlet port and said outlet port being adapted to register with the outlet and inlet ports, respectively, of contiguous cells, and I communicating means between the cooled spaces of contiguous cells.

3. Heat-exchange apparatuscomprising a. plurality of contiguous cells, each cellicomprising a cooled space. and a cooling space, means for guidinga cooling medium through said cooling space in a circuitous path, an inlet port on one face of said cell at one end of said path, an outlet port on the other face of said cell at the other end of said path,

said inlet portend said outlet port being adapted to register with-the outlet port and inlet port, respectively, of contiguous cells, a central aperture through each alternate coolthat the space between'each pair of in space and apertures through each ofthe other cooling spaces near the peripherles thereof.

4. Heat-exchange apparatus. comprising two alternating series of superposed cells,

being adapted to register with the outlet ports oflcontiguous-cells, central apertures in one series of said cells, passages through the other series of cells near the periphery thereof, for connecting contiguous cooled spaces, a vertical rotar I shaft extending centrally throu h said ce Is, and scrapers on said shaft within said cooled spaces.

In testimony whereof I' hereunto afiix my signature. Y

JA S Moons. 

